Corset-steel reinforce



(No Model.)

L. LEPPERT.

' CORSET STEEL REINFORCE- No. 559,458. Pat'enfied May 5, 1896.

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CORSET-STEEL REINFORCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,458, ated May 5,1896.

Application filed July 5, 1895. Serial No- 564=,934. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LIZZIE LEPPERT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful In1- provement in Corset-SteelReinforces, (Case 1,) of which the following is afull, clear, concise,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification.

In the use of corsets it not infrequently happens that the steel towhich the eyes are secured is broken at the center, usually at the pointwhere the central eye is attached, since it is at this point that thereis the greatest strain. It then has been considered necessary to replacethe broken steel. In fact, when one steel is broken it is the custom tobuy a pair of steels to replace not only the one which is broken, butthe corresponding steel to which the hooks or buttons are attached.

The object of my invention is to provide ready means for repairing abroken steel or for reinforcing a steel to prevent its becoming bent orbroken at the portion thereof where the central eye is attached.

Speaking generally, my invention consists of a reinforce consisting of acloth-holder of double thickness, the holder being stitched at the edgesand at the middle to form two longitudinal pockets within which arecontained fiat steels or stiffeners, one being placedin each of thepockets. The stiifeners are adapted to be folded over to lie one againsteach face of the corset-steel which is to be reinforced, a slit beingprovided in the folded edge of the cloth-holder for the passage of aneye carried upon the corset'steel. The reinforce as thus constructed maybe readily applied to the corset by passing the eye through the slit,after which the steels may be folded into position against the oppositefaces of the corset-steel to be reinforced, and the edges of thecloth-holder may then be secured to the corset by sewing or in any otherpreferred manner.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a view illustrative of acorset provided with my strengthening attachment. Fig. 2 illustrates themanner of securing the strengthening-strip to the corset. Fig. 3 is afull-sized plan view illustrative of a single casing. Fig. dis an edgeview thereof. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the steel pieces adaptedto be inserted in a casing. Fig. 6 is a plan View of a blank readyto becut transversely. Fig. 7 is a plan of a section thereof. Fig. 8 is anend view of said section, showing the pockets or openings adapted toreceive the strengthening-steels. Fig. 9 illustrates my strengtheningattachment secured to the corset by temporary metal fasteners.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout thedifferent figures.

Referring to the blank illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, it will be seenthat the cloth is folded upon itself and stitched cent-rally, as shownat a and at a short distance from each of the edges thereof, asindicated by b c, after which the blank may be stitched transversely atuniform distances apart, as indicated by d d d d (l. The blank is thencut transversely, as indicated at e e e e, to form casings, as indicatedin Fig. 7. When thus severed, open pockets ff (see Fig. 8) will beformed, into which the strengthening-steels are inserted. The ends ofthe casing may then be folded over, as indicated at g g, Fig. l. Eachstrip thus formed should be provided with a slit h, as shown in Fig. 3,in order that the strip may be placed over the eye 01 and secured to theedge of the corset, as illustrated in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2 I haveillustrated the strip placed over the eye 2' and partially folded. Itwill thus be seen that the strengthening steel pieces of the strip arebrought paralleland upon opposite sides of the steel of the corset towhich the eyesi i i '1; z are attached, and after the edges 1 E aresecured to the cloth m of the corset the steel 7.: thus reinforced willlast indefinitely.-

The corset-strengthening strips, consisting each of a casing and twoinclosed steel pieces, adapted to be folded together and secured to thecorset, are usually sold separately. I have, however, found it desirableto attach one of these strips to each pair of corsets before the steelhas become broken or weakened, in order that the steel may be held inplace to obviate the breaking, twisting, orbending of the steel whensubjected to great or undue strain.

As shown in Fig. 1, the free edges of the casing of the strengtheningattachment are sewed to the cloth of the corset.

In Fig. 9 I have shown temporary metal fasteners inserted through theseedges to hold the strengthening attachment in place, and I find itdesirable to furnish with the said attachments such temporary fastenersto be used when for any reason it may not be convenient to sew theattachments in place.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent In a corset-steel reinforce, the combination with acloth-holder of double thickness, the holder being stitched at the edgesand at the middle to form two longitudinal pockets, of

flat steels or stiffeners, one contained in each of said pockets, thestiffeners being adapted to fold over to lie one against each face ofthe corset-steel to be reinforced, a slit being provided in the foldededge of the clothholder for the passage of the eye carried upon thecorset-steel; whereby the reinforce may be readily applied to a corsetby passing the eye through the slit, folding over the reinforcing-steelsso that one lies on each side of the corset-steel, and then sewing theedges of the cloth-holder to the corset to secure the reinforce inposition; substantially as de scribed.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 2d day of July, A.D. 1895.

LIZZIE LEPPERT. \Vitnesses:

GEORGE P. BARTON, JOHN W. SINCLAIR.

